Monday, April 02, 2007

U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced today that they are introducing legislation that will effectively end the current military mission in Iraq and begin the redeployment of U.S. forces. The bill requires the President to begin safely redeploying U.S. troops from Iraq 120 days from enactment, as required by the emergency supplemental spending bill the Senate passed last week. The bill ends funding for the war, with three narrow exceptions, effective March 31, 2008.

“I am pleased to cosponsor Senator Feingold’s important legislation,” Reid said. “I believe it is consistent with the language included in the supplemental appropriations bill passed by a bipartisan majority of the Senate. If the President vetoes the supplemental appropriations bill and continues to resist changing course in Iraq, I will work to ensure this legislation receives a vote in the Senate in the next work period.”

As noted in the press release, the legislation requires the President to commence withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq within 120 days of its enactment, and prohibits funds for the deployment of troops after March 31, 2008 except for a limited number for training Iraqi forces, conducting targeted operations against Al Qaeda, and providing security for U.S. infrastructure and personnel.

It's a great bill - stronger than the current language in the version of the supplemental the Senate passed - but it's fate is unclear. Republicans may well block a vote, and it's not certain Reid has enough votes to pass it if they don't. Also, is the purpose of holding a vote for the bill intended to simply ratchet up further the pressure on Bush and the Republicans, or would it make it into a future version of the supplemental after Bush vetoes the current one? One would hope so, but it's encouraging Reid intends to keep at it no matter what.

1 comment:

I think that's referred to as upping the ante, and I'm all for it. It may fail...but it'll take some brass balls to win this fight with the President, and I'm beginning to think the Sen and House leadership have what it takes.